Archive for August 2016

Schools would not run smoothly without the secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, security team, or food service staff. Often their support is so seamless, we almost forget that they exist and we often take for granted, all the glitches they unglitch. So, as you are thinking about building a classroom community, take a moment out to think about how you might build positive relationships with your building’s support personnel. Here’s a few suggestions from our books, Thriving in the High School Classroom and From Surviving to Thriving: Mastering the Elementary Classroom.

Acknowledge support personnel with a smile, a nod, or short conversation.

Turn in paperwork on time. If it’s going to be late, let the secretary know.

Communicate with the custodian when a class event is going to result in extra trash or your classroom furniture arrangement may impede cleaning.

Don’t forget to let the food service staff know when your students may not be dining in the cafeteria.

Take time out to introduce yourself to the security team and find out what you can do to make their job easier.

If you have bus duty, connect with the bus drivers.

And, as we all know, it is the school secretary who really runs the school!

To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching. George Bernard Shaw

Even teachers need reminding of how critical they are to the education of students and to maintaining a democratic way of life. We collected 16 quotes to share with teachers that reflect just how important teachers are.

Display the bookmark quote where you can see it from your desk to remind you your work as a teacher is appreciated.

Copy bookmark quotes on colored card stock and cut out. Write personal notes of appreciation on the backsides of the bookmarks and place the bookmark quotes in faculty/staff mailboxes.

Distribute the bookmark quotes at a faculty/staff meeting. Use bookmark quotes to form pairs, trios, or quads by directing teachers/staff members to find one, two, or three other teachers/staff members who have the same bookmark quote. Invite pairs or groups to discuss the quote and/or work in groups. Nice way to start a faculty/staff meeting.

Make mini-posters out of the bookmark quotes and display them on a bulletin board near the main entrance where visitors will see them.

Place all 16 bookmark quotes in a box, pull one out during lunch, read it aloud, and discuss the meaning of the quote with your colleagues.

Challenge students to find inspiring quotes related to education or a topic related to the content area in which you teach. Make your own bookmark quotes for students, using the quotes that they find.